Saudi Aramco and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading world research institution, have announced they will establish a CO2 Research Center to jointly collaborate in research and development of innovative technologies and solutions to address the world’s energy challenges.
Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO, Saudi Aramco, and Dr. Nam Pyo Suh, president, KAIST, signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Saudi Aramco-KAIST CO2 Research Center near KAIST’s main campus in Daejeon. The signing ceremony took place at the Saudi Aramco headquarters this week.
The research center, jointly managed by Saudi Aramco and KAIST, will foster and facilitate the research and development of innovative technologies and solutions, conversion of CO2 into useful products, and develop efficiency improvements in its focus areas of research.
A joint working group comprising of scientists, experts and professionals from KAIST and Saudi Aramco will oversee the establishment and operations of the Saudi Aramco-KAIST CO2 Research Center and the agreement provides the framework for the group to share carbon management technologies, establish exchange programs and conduct joint projects.
Khalid A. Al-Falih said: "The new center represents a major step in Saudi Aramco’s research and technology strategy to partner with top global institutions to help address and find sustainable solutions to the world’s energy challenges both domestically and internationally.
"While we recognize that modern renewables are a welcome addition to the future energy mix, the world’s energy needs will continue to be met for many decades to come by existing conventional sources, primarily fossil fuels. It is important that investments are made in research and development that make the world’s primary energy sources more sustainable through efficiency and environmental stewardship, and I am confident our partnership with KAIST will help foster innovative solutions for the clean, reliable and efficient use of hydrocarbon fuels."
Dr. Suh said: "As demand for petroleum and natural gas is expected to increase due to a rising world population and continued economic development, it is imperative that we collaborate with top industry partners to tackle the world’s sustainability challenges and find innovative and sustainable solutions that will benefit all of mankind.
"Partnering with Saudi Aramco, the industry leader, is a significant step in meeting these challenges and Saudi Aramco’s integrated capabilities encompassing energy and technology would enable the CO2 Research Center to advance research and develop its focus areas."
KAIST Vice President of Research Kyoungwook Paik said: "Through the Saudi Aramco-KAIST CO2 Research Center, KAIST is demonstrating its willpower to apply science and technology to carbon management research in order to significantly enhance the quality of human life."
Samir A. Tubayyeb, vice president, Engineering Services, Saudi Aramco, said: "Saudi Aramco’s bold research and development strategy accentuates tapping into in-Kingdom and global centers of technical and academic excellence."
He said the company’s collaboration with KAIST is the first such partnership established in Asia and the MOU with KAIST enables collaboration between in-Kingdom universities and the CO2 Research Center’s research activities. Citing Saudi Aramco’s first satellite research and development center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology last year, he explained that the company will establish research centers around the world in technology hubs in Europe and North America.
"The Saudi Aramco-KAIST CO2 Research Center represents another step part of our research and development strategy execution to help develop innovative technologies towards CO2 capture and conversion by bringing the strengths of Saudi Aramco as a technology innovator with those of KAIST as a center of academic excellence."
KAIST was established in 1971 as the Republic of Korea’s first graduate school specializing in science and engineering education and research. The school’s founding was a catalyst for Korea’s rapid rise from a producer of light industry goods to a world leader in high-technology industries.
Over the past four decades, KAIST has evolved into a global research university. The University’s strong faculty conducts internationally recognized research in cooperation with academic institutions and industries all over the world. KAIST offers generous grants and fellowships to international students, promoting Korea as a global educational power.
KAIST received in December 2012 global recognition from Thomson Reuters as one of the world’s Top 100 Global Innovative Organizations for 2012, and has been honored in particular for its breakthrough innovations in transporting CO2.
Dr. Suh is a former administrator and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and he is an authority in axiomatic design theory. He serves on the board of trustees of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and on the international advisory board of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

What's happening around Saudi Arabia

ALKHOBAR: A power failure at the King Fahd Causeway on Wednesday night resulted in a massive traffic congestion, even as officials failed to explain the cause of the snag, local media reported.A power outage for 74 minutes on the link between the Kin...

JEDDAH: A female Saudi lawyer was able to get a stay order on a ruling by the general court in Jeddah that awarded custody of a two-year-old girl to her father. She successfully argued to get the court order reversed that gave custody back to the mot...

JEDDAH: The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) said that combating harassment cases is part of its responsibility to promote Islamic values and morals in society.“Those harassing women will be brought to book,” s...

JEDDAH: More than 26 million Umrah pilgrims and worshippers visited the Grand Mosque during the month of Ramadan and in the first few days after Eid Al-Fitr, thanks to a smooth transport arrangement under the guidance of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-...

AL-AHSA: An outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) has been discovered in cattle in Al-Ahsa which is an area with many cows. All necessary measures have been taken to protect the livestock, said Mahmoud Al-Shuaibi of the Agriculture Department in Al-Ah...

RIYADH: An architectural masterpiece — the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center (KAHC) — in Riyadh is a huge complex dedicated solely to collecting, preserving, promoting and showcasing the history and heritage of Saudi Arabia. The KAHC is a three milli...

RIYADH: The Saudi Blind Society (Kafif) has made all preparations for the three-day workshop for the blind to be held here next week and attended by delegates from various Asian countries.Mohammed bin Suleiman Al-Shuwaiman, Kafif director general, th...

JEDDAH: The number of Saudis who took early retirement schemes last year stood at 38,647, the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has said. The Eastern Provinces got the lion's share of disbursements for retirees, amounting to SR3.8 bill...

JEDDAH: Meat and poultry topped the list of food items seized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) at the border crossings for violating the health standards in the last two months.Approximately 267,137 kg of unfit meat and poultry were reject...

JEDDAH: Many sponsors and workers of small companies are struggling to get a comparatively cheaper health cover for renewal of iqama (residential permit) as the insurance companies have stopped issuing the same.The passport department has made it com...

RIYADH: Police have detained 11 Indonesian nationals, who arrived in the holy city of Makkah for Umrah a few days back.The Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry is working closely with the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah to assist the group of citizen...

JEDDAH: The National Committee for Bakeries at the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) said this Haj season would see no shortage in supplies of bakery items.The committee said there was need to increase operational labor by about 20 percent.It confirmed...

LONDON: Members of Osama Bin Laden’s family were among four people who died when a private jet crashed in Britain, Saudi Arabia’s embassy in London said on Saturday.The Saudi-registered plane plowed into a car auction site and burst into flames in so...

JEDDAH: Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Al Hamzi, director general of prisons, has sacked Brig. Ahmad Al Shahrani, director of Jeddah prisons, after the case of a video clip about prisoners taking heroin went viral, according to local media.Quoting informed source...